


The Paradise Syndrome:  Blessed Are They Who Mourn

by Cheree_Cargill



Series: Glimpses of a Life [59]
Category: Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-05
Updated: 2018-06-05
Packaged: 2019-05-18 13:22:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14853557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cheree_Cargill/pseuds/Cheree_Cargill
Summary: Following the death of his wife Miramanee, Kirk is grieving and Spock wonders what he can do.





	The Paradise Syndrome:  Blessed Are They Who Mourn

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: The Star Trek characters are the property of Paramount Studios, Inc. The story contents are the creation and property of Cheree Cargill.

_Stardate:_ _4865._ _8, First Officer Spock recording._

 

I sit in the command chair and watch the planet recede into the background of stars. We hope that we have left the asteroid deflector in good working order, but if not, Captain Kirk has taken the precaution of instructing Salish how to operate it. The Indian medicine chief, as he became once more when the Captain returned the headband to him, was not gracious but welcomed his power back, especially when "Kirok" informed him that he was returning to the heavens and would not be back. It was up to Salish now to protect his people and pass on the knowledge to his sons.

We stayed in orbit so that the Captain could attend Miramanee's funeral rites and go through the death ritual of her people. Dr. McCoy remained with him, but the rest of us stayed out of the ceremonies so as not to disrupt them anymore than necessary. I was interested to learn of the proceedings, as were the xenosociologists on board, to add to our database of other world customs. This one was especially interesting to them because it involved a human culture, although a transplanted one, and a blend of Native American culture at that.

Miramanee and her unborn child had died in her home hogan, which she had shared with Jim. As word had spread that the chief's daughter was dying after being stoned by members of the tribe, two women took up waiting outside the door with Dr. McCoy. They did not speak but stood watchfully. Then when the Captain emerged and informed them that his wife was dead, the women immediately rushed back to the village crying the word. McCoy told me that the rest of the women in the village began to wail and weep loudly, falling to the ground. It seemed to be partially genuine at the loss of their priestess and partially ritual mourning.

McCoy related what happened next. Goro, Miramanee's father and the village elder, arrived and took Jim away and would not allow him to re-enter the hogan. It was forbidden now because the hut had become inhabited with spirits and it was taboo to re-enter the dwelling. Instead, two priestesses, naked and covered completely in ashes, entered to prepare Miramanee's body, to douse the fire in the hearth, and to gather everything she had touched. They were all now unclean.

Late in the day, as sundown was approaching, the women re-emerged and announced that all had been prepared, then went to the river to wash themselves of the polluting touch of a dead body. They then disappeared into the woods, I suspect to go into isolation for a set period of time of ritual purification.

As the sun set, with the entire village gathered at a safe distance, the hogan was set aflame. McCoy had to physically hold Jim back when this happened, as he realized that the body of his wife was being cremated, along with the hut and everything within it. Jim collapsed at that point, sobbing openly and in near hysterics, and the doctor quietly gave him a sedative, not allowing any of the other villagers see what he was doing. Long into the night, they watched as the birch bark hut burned, until nothing was left but glowing embers and smoke and the smell of death.

At dawn, the entire population of the village dismantled their teepees and other abodes, packed their belongings onto travois, and began to move to another location around the lake. The place had become unlucky and saturated with bad spirits. They would not live there. Jim and Dr. McCoy transported up to the ship, where the Captain was put under heavy sedation and confined to sick bay for 48 hours.

When he was recovered somewhat, he returned to the surface and sought out Salish to transfer the power of the medicine badge back to him. Once that was done, we left orbit for our next mission. Thankfully, it should be a quiet one, just star mapping in this area. The Captain retreated to his cabin to grieve and I have been in command since that time. Dr. McCoy has him under medical supervision and has not released him yet to return to duty.

Once we were underway and I had turned the conn over to Lt. Sulu, I left the bridge and went down to sick bay to speak with the doctor. I found him in private conference with the Captain, both of them in McCoy's office. Too restless to stay in his cabin, Jim had come to pour out his grief to McCoy's willing ears. It was not the first time he has done and it will not be the last. I strongly suspect that Dr. McCoy has facilitated his counsel with his favorite medicinal application, a glass of good bourbon.

I was about to turn and leave when I saw that Nurse Chapel had stepped up beside me. She had been with us on the steps of the obelisk after the stoning and somehow it seemed to make us comrades in the tragic aftermath of the incident. At the moment she was radiating sadness and gazing at the closed door of McCoy's office. Curious, I looked down at her.

"He really loved her," Chapel said softly without preamble. "And they were about to have a baby. I think he was happier with that than anything. It must be a terrible blow to lose both of them at once."

"Death is never easy," I agreed quietly.

"I know that all too well," she sighed. "It took me over a year to come to grips with Roger's death." I knew that Roger Korby had been her betrothed and the search for him had brought her to this ship.

"Humans grieve for extended periods of time," I commented. "I often think that ours is the less destructive way." Vulcans had mourning periods, of course, but they were short, for there was no logic in carrying the death of a friend or family member for a long time. But Humans were so different. Truthfully, I had not seen the Captain so impacted by a death since that of Edith Keeler, whom he had been required to allow to die in order to protect the timeline. Not even his brother's death on Deneva had seemed to hit him so hard.

"Everyone grieves in their own way," Christine answered. "You never get over it, but you learn that life goes on and you have to go on with it. Have you ever lost anyone, Mr. Spock?"

I looked down thoughtfully, searching my memory. "No one close," I replied. "Of course, I have had family members who died but none that I have considered appropriate to mourn longer than our customs dictate."

Chapel sighed again. "Sometimes I think Humans would be better off if we could handle it that easily."

"I did not mean to imply that it was easy," I responded, looking back down at her.

"Of course not, Mr. Spock," she said in a barely audible voice. She turned her large blue eyes on me for a moment, and I could not think what to say next. After what seemed like a long time, she looked back to the closed office door, as if she could penetrate it with her sympathy and comfort the Captain as she longed to do. I sensed that there was nothing sexual in it, but that of a mother cradling a hurt child. I had found this quality often in Miss Chapel and knew that it was one of the things that made her an excellent nurse.

I watched her for a few seconds more, then said, "I must return to my duties. Please have Dr. McCoy inform me if I can be of assistance."

"Yes, I will, Mr. Spock," she answered. As I turned to leave, she spoke up, "Mr. Spock?" I quirked up an eyebrow in inquiry. "Just be there for him. What he needs now is a friend. A good friend."

I nodded and replied with a hint of amusement in my voice. "Yes, I will. Thank you … _doctor_."

I saw her smile and blush as I went out the door. I didn't reply that the Captain had a number of good friends … and she was one of them.

THE END

 


End file.
